Improved breast-collar



PATENT OEEICE f SAMUEL E. STOWELL, OE CHARLESTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED BREAST-COLLAR.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,088, dated January 16, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. STOWELL, of Charlestown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved BreastCollar for Double Harness and I do hereby declare that the following', taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specification, is adescription of Iny invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

The invention relates to the construction of the breast or Dutch collar or breast-plate for double-driving or carriage harnesses.

lt is well known that for light work in single harness a breast-strap is often employed in preference to the English collar, both on account of the greater freedom and ease of action and from the advantage it has in showing oit' the style and figure ot' the horse. But the breastcollar is not used to any great extent in double-driving harnesses, because in pulling back the strain upon the breast-strap from the carriage-pole causes the strap to pinch upon and gall the breast and shoulders of each horse. 1t is oftentimes desirable, however, to employ such breast-collar in preference to the common collar, on account of the advantages named, if the objections can be obviated; and it is the object of my invention to so construct a breast-collar that it may be used to doubleharness without this liability to injure or gall the horse. For this purpose I make the main strap in the usualforin where it is to lie against the breast, and apply in front of the same a nieta-l spreader, fastened to the breast-strap in such manner that it stands out in front ot the same, and takes the lateral strain entirely off of the breast of the horse. To this metal spreader I attach the front neck-strap, and to a swiveling eye or D-ring hung to the bow the pole-strap and martingale-strap are fastened. It is this employment of the spreader, in coinbination with the breast-strap, that constitutes the invention.

The drawing shows the manner in which the breast-plate hangs upon one of a pair of horses.

a denotes the breast-strap of the collar; b c, the neck-strapl by which the breast-collar is hung upon the horse. The ends of the strap b are fastened to the strap a above the shoulders, and the strap c extends out over the breast, and is there attached, by an eye, d, to the spreader e. This spreader is a piece ot' metal bent around so as to stand out clear from the breast-strap in front, and at its ends it is fast ened, by straps f, to the breast-plate, at or near the shoulders, so that7 as will be obvious from the drawing, the strain upon the breast-plate is prevented from bringing the strap injuriously in contact with the horse by the presence ot' this spreader, which prevents any tendency that this strap would otherwise have to pinch or hug in upon the breast and shoulders of the horse.

The carriage-pole is connected to the breastplate by a pole-strap7 g, which runs through an eye or D-ring hung to the spreader by a piece, h, and the martin gale-strap runs through the other end of this ring, and thence to the girth t'.

In turning, the common breast-strap has a tendency to ride up upon and chate the breast; but by this construction the strap is kept in place, the spreader swinging up and down loosely and taking the strain.

By applying the neck-strap to the spreader, and also connecting the pole-strap to it, as shown, a downward strain of the neck-strap upon the neck is prevented, the pull upon the pole strap g having a tendency to raise the spreader and keep the neck-strap loosely upon the neck.

I claim- In combination with a breast-strap of a double-driving harness, the metal spreader, applied and operating in the manner and for the purpose substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of December, A. D. 1865.

SAMUEL E. STOWELL.

Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY, FRANCIS GoULD. 

